SOLVED Long Straight Runs

Please Help
I am having a problem that only happens when I have a long straight run of plastic.The plastic is extruded but is not adhering to the other layers. It happens on long runs. Not so much the top or bottom layers though. This run is about 5 inches or so.

In this 2nd photo, looking closely, you can see the rectangular infill behind the droopy long tread. I have the stock fan. In this case I am using Raptor PLA which is supposed to print just like PLA but at 240 degrees.

Please Help
I am having a problem that only happens when I have a long straight run of plastic.The plastic is extruded but is not adhering to the other layers. It happens on long runs. Not so much the top or bottom layers though. This run is about 5 inches or so.

In this 2nd photo, looking closely, you can see the rectangular infill behind the droopy long tread. I have the stock fan. In this case I am using Raptor PLA which is supposed to print just like PLA but at 240 degrees.

The cooling fan change didn't help. Darn.
I will keep the cooling at 50% and change the overlap. Also, I will review the drawing to verify I am not trying to do a long overhang. I thought I had made sure I hadn't, but I drew the model ages ago and I should check it again.
Thanks Mike

Looking at your Simplify3D info am I correct in thinking you have a dual. If so, could it be that when you have calibrated your bed height, it would be for the left hand extruder. Even though your extruders will be level, if you have MBL the point at which it's level is relative you left extruder. Now, if your bed / frame / system thinks there is a tilt on your bed your right extruder could be 34-35mm away from the correction.

Maybe calibrate with your right extruder on the bed. I think I experienced something similar when I was playing with different extruders. Another option to prove this could be to rotate (if possible) 90 degrees clockwise.

Looking at your Simplify3D info am I correct in thinking you have a dual. If so, could it be that when you have calibrated your bed height, it would be for the left hand extruder. Even though your extruders will be level, if you have MBL the point at which it's level is relative you left extruder. Now, if your bed / frame / system thinks there is a tilt on your bed your right extruder could be 34-35mm away from the correction.

Maybe calibrate with your right extruder on the bed. I think I experienced something similar when I was playing with different extruders. Another option to prove this could be to rotate (if possible) 90 degrees clockwise.

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I do have a dual but I have the non-functioning side removed so I level the only side remaining which is a direct drive. When I print I set the part at rough;y 45 degrees.
The long strech was verified to have no overhang. that part is 100 percent vertical (90 degrees). I have this issue with EDGE and Raptor PLA. I have printed this part tones of times with no issues with my old Wanhao Duplicator i3 & Cura using filaments regular PLA and PETG and I did not have this issue.
I don't believe this is a fault of the BigBox by any stretch. I think it is just a setting in my Simplify3D, which I am still trying to master with any filament other than regular PLA.

I do have a dual but I have the non-functioning side removed so I level the only side remaining which is a direct drive. When I print I set the part at rough;y 45 degrees.
The long strech was verified to have no overhang. that part is 100 percent vertical (90 degrees). I have this issue with EDGE and Raptor PLA. I have printed this part tones of times with no issues with my old Wanhao Duplicator i3 & Cura using filaments regular PLA and PETG and I did not have this issue.
I don't believe this is a fault of the BigBox by any stretch. I think it is just a setting in my Simplify3D, which I am still trying to master with any filament other than regular PLA.View attachment 2053

Click to expand...

I suppose the next thing to ask is which firmware and FFF flavours are you using and look at the scripts to see if all is OK there. I note that you did not include the "Temperature" screen shot to show what settings are there.

Here is the Temperature screenshot. Raptor PLA prints at 240 degrees.
I am on firmware RC6. (Non Alex version and I use auto bed leveling, although I think now I know enough to move to Alex version with the manual bed leveling)

Here is the Temperature screenshot. Raptor PLA prints at 240 degrees.
I am on firmware RC6. (Non Alex version and I use auto bed leveling, although I think now I know enough to move to Alex version with the manual bed leveling)

I can see nothing suspicious in any of the setting you have, as they are pretty normal. If you can show the starting script if there is one that may have more information. I would ask @Alex9779 to give his opinion as I am out of ideas.

I can see nothing suspicious in any of the setting you have, as they are pretty normal. If you can show the starting script if there is one that may have more information. I would ask @Alex9779 to give his opinion as I am out of ideas.

Sorry for the delay in replying, I'm in West of Shetland, working on a ship with bad weather and slow internet.

When you level your bed do you do it heated or cold? Is your first layer good? Is your 2nd head picking up on the model previously printed and lifting the carriage?

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Hmmm.

Well I use auto leveling now but am planning on changing that in the future. Usually I level on a cold bed but not always. The first layers are not the issue either. It seems to happen between these two shots (roughly layers 27 to 55)

Zoomed of layer 55. Here you can see from the short side, the walls are vertical (where the red lines are pointing). This where the problem arises.

Well I use auto leveling now but am planning on changing that in the future. Usually I level on a cold bed but not always. The first layers are not the issue either. It seems to happen between these two shots (roughly layers 27 to 55)

Zoomed of layer 55. Here you can see from the short side, the walls are vertical (where the red lines are pointing). This where the problem arises.View attachment 2061

Click to expand...

That looks like a hell of a overhang and would not be achievable without support. Print this the other way up as it looks as if this was how it was intended, so to do this on the main screen in S3D, choose "Edit/Place surface on Bed" or CTRL+L and select a triangle on the top surface to flip the model.

Staff Member

Yeah that's what I thought too. I have no idea how you printed that on an other printer without issues. Maybe because you used a different slicer?
You set to print perimeters to "Inside-out", thats good but if the outer line of the overhang are too far away from the middle then there are not only perimeters printed but also infill and then the printer prints the outer contour of the part in mid air, the inner line first but that line also has no chance to adhere to the middle structure...

Reading your start script (looks like mine btw) I have no idea how your bed gets warm with the screenshots you posted above.
On the temperature tab you selected the "Heated Bed" which has a "Temperature Identifier" set to "T2" but in the script you have the variable [bed0_temperature]. Either set that to "T0" or use [bed2_temperature]...

That looks like a hell of a overhang and would not be achievable without support. Print this the other way up as it looks as if this was how it was intended, so to do this on the main screen in S3D, choose "Edit/Place surface on Bed" or CTRL+L and select a triangle on the top surface to flip the model.

Click to expand...

Well you are both right.
I did print it upside down on the other printer and $!@ was I thinking. That overhang is crazy.
I was thinking it was the vertical walls drooping but you are right it is the overhang dropping which makes 100% sense. Duh.

The reason I flipped it in the 1st place because there are some rails that come out and they were drooping. I may need to split this in half, upper and lower and have them snap together. Wow, I can't believe I didn't see it.

Remember that in S3D you have the option to generate support manually and for this model you could use a quite coarse support (lower percentage) and rely on bridging with high cooling for those initial layers, which you can also set in the cooling dialogue.

I assume this clips into another part and those side wedges are the clips. If so, you could angle the right-angled surface to say 30 degrees or even give them a full radius and you should get away without support for those areas. I often print a test piece to model an overhang such as this and tweak the angles and radii for best result and function. Like @Alex9779 I don't go much for support and try to re-orientate the model or design my way around it. It's a steep but enjoyable (frustrating!!) learning curve, no pun intended . . . OK it was!

All Better!I have not removed the supports on the bottom yet but the long run issues has been resolved thanks to Mike's and Alex's input.I really appreciate the help as I was looking in completely the wrong area for the solution. I was thinking it was the sidewalls drooping where as it was actually an overhang that drooped over the sidewalls, hence my confusion. It was a rookie mistake but one I won't forget. Thanks